Communication skill of agricultural graduates—A study conducted at UBKV, West Bengal

Communication skill is an important component of soft skills. It is considered the “heart of soft skills” among all other components of soft skills. A survey by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in 2010 found that a majority of graduates lacked adequate “communication skills” required to get employed in any industry, and only about one-third of the employers were satisfied with the communication ability of their employees. Though the educational institutes are providing technical skills, somewhere the emphasis on communicational skills has taken a backseat. Research was thus undertaken to study the communication skill level of the graduates of UBKV, West Bengal, desirable for job placement. The educational institute (UBKV) was selected purposively. Data was collected through a structured interview schedule using a one-to-one physical interview method. A total of 90 students from various departments were selected with the stratified random sampling technique using the proportional allocation method. Communication skill level was taken as the dependent variable, whereas various personal, communicational and socio-psychological variables were considered as the independent variables. The data was statistically analyzed using the SPSS software, and statistical tools like frequency, percentage, mean, coefficient of correlation, etc., were used for analysis. It has been found that the majority of the respondents are 24–27 years old, belong to a rural background with low family income, and have done their schooling in a regional language. They possess a medium level of both written and verbal communication skills; however, they are found to have high academic motivation. The respondents had less exposure to personal interviews and group discussions and absolutely no exposure to any soft skill training or internships. However, they were found to have high aptitude skills. Variables like age, income and aptitude are found to be positively and significantly associated with the communication skill of students. The study recommends encouraging the students to develop a reading habit and not to provide them with short notes. In order to improve the written communication skill, the students need to read books/texts extensively from various authors. The lecture sessions should end with a small 10-minute quiz to improve the verbal communication skills of the students. 1 (one) week of training or a workshop may be arranged on the university campus, preferably in the last semester of the degree program, involving the successful seniors or alumni to train the outgoing students with mock interviews or motivational speeches. The suggestions given in the study, if practiced, would definitely improve the communication skills of the students to a great extent over a period of time.